Where the Shadow Lies
by o0SummerSkies0o
Summary: After leaving the Oniwabanshuu for 8 years, Misao returns to take care of some business.
1. Chapter 1

Where the Shadow lies  
Chapter 1  
  
3 years ago.  
  
Aoshi leaned against the door, wondering why he had felt such an unfamiliar tug in his heart. He was at the Mayor's home in Tokyo, along with several other important officials from Japan attending a meeting. So far, the meeting had consisted of nothing but generally wasting Aoshi's time because the mayor and officials had been busy partying the entire time. Okina had informed him that this would be a quiet informal gathering of Japan's powerful politicians, but apparently it was not. It was a party that Aoshi would have preferred to ignore, but his ties to the secret police and as the reinstated Okashira of Oniwa Banshuu demanded that he did attend the party.  
Looking up at the clock, Aoshi found that enough time had elapsed since his arrival at the party and that he could now leave without seeming to be rude. All he had to do now was to find the mayor and say his farewells. He stood up and walked down the dimly lighted hallway, his mind wandering not for the first time, how Misao was doing on a night like this.  
It had been nearly five years since she had left the Aoiya to go on her own journey in an attempt to make herself much more stronger since Jiya and himself had refused oblige. and to get away from the sting of his rejection. Since her departure, she made it a habit to visit the Oniwa Banshuu once a year, always on a time that Aoshi was gone on business. Those visits usually lasted three days before Misao left the Aoiya despite the protests and pleadings of the other Oniwa Banshuus; but the most recent one of all had brought along much more protests since she had brought along with the troublesome ex-Juppon-Gatana Chou. That visit had brought on nothing but worry and the attempt to locate Misao wherever she was to bring her back home for good. That task proved to be useless, for Misao was part of the Oniwa Banshuu and when one didn't want to be found, one wouldn't be found, not even if you had the secret police helping you out.  
Aoshi sighed quietly and then stopped when he reached the center of the party. He scanned the entire room and the found that the Mayor was sitting at the far side of the room surrounded by several geisha and politicians. All of them were quite beautiful, but none so more then the one that had just come back to the table after escorting the foreigner Commodore Matthew Perry to the bathroom. Aoshi found himself watching her as she gracefully entered in the conversation and flirt with the mayor.  
She was a petite thing, and from Aoshi's guess, not more than an inch past five feet. She had large blue eyes, the color of a really good sapphire and blue-black hair that was pulled up into an elegant bun that emphasized her slender neck and triangular face. Her eyes sparkled with humor and mischief, much like Misao's, Aoshi thought guiltily, before the event. She wore the magnificent makeup of a geisha; her face painted a milky white, the color contrasted to inky black eyebrows and red-as-blood lips. It piqued Aoshi's curiosity to see that where all the geisha's make- up seemed to blend in with their own skin tones, hers was like a mask that invited a man to see what she was under the make-up and rich kimono. It was oddly erotic as Aoshi felt himself drawn to her sensual outfit. He saw that he wasn't the only one attracted to her, because the man next to her poured her a cup of sake as he tried to place a hand on her thigh. He could see the irritation in her eyes as she brushed his hand away.  
As of the geisha she sensed Aoshi's eyes on her, she looked up. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and it seemed as if a jolt of electricity had passed through them. The geisha broke contact, seemingly shaken, for she immediately turned back to the man whom she had recently refused and began to flirt with him in earnest.  
Aoshi shook his head, trying to get rid of the feelings that the geisha had somehow manage to bring in him. A glint of steel caught his eye, and he bellowed out a warning at the mayor as the shuriken headed towards him. Immediately his twin kodachi appeared in his hands as charged forward only to be shocked to a standstill when an incredible thing happened.  
The geisha whom Aoshi had been eyeing before drew out an iron fan. The tessen immediately deflected the shuriken causing it to bounce harmlessly onto the table. The man at her side immediately grabbed at it as the geisha stood up, shoving the Mayor away from the danger as she kicked the man on the head. The occupants in the room screamed as they realized why they had just seen and made a desperate run for the exit. Stunned but not out of commission, the man leapt forward in an attempt to do the geisha harm, but she was having none of it. She dodged his slash and took the opportunity to slice his throat with the iron fan. Just as she sliced his throat, a shadowy portal opened and out stepped a dozen shinobi. Immediately they split into half as one group headed towards the geisha and the other towards Aoshi who was steadily fighting his way through the undercover attackers.  
"Sakura!" the thin balding old man cried out, "Protect me!"  
The geisha Sakura didn't even bother to answer as she ducked under the shinobi's kick and slicing him on the thigh as she jumped back up to land a powerhouse kick on his face. As she was up in the air, her body was already in motion, twisting as she flipped over another shinobi slicing his back with her deadly fan. She landed and immediately went low, giving the ninja behind her a sweeping kick. Even as the man was falling back, the geisha remained in motion, not content to merely disable. Her fan was a sharp glimmer in the air as she sliced him open like a gutted fish. Blood spurted out a geyser, splattering and ruining the expensive kimono and make- up.  
Aoshi heard her grunt with the effort of parrying blow after blow that a pair of shinobi was giving her. They were trying to wear her down with brute strength. She caught a katana at the bottom opening of her iron fan and immediately closed it, lashing out with a kick to the head; exposing a shapely leg that had knocked the man unconscious. She opened the tessen again and flicked it over her left shoulder, barely missing the dagger to her shoulder as the blade hit and put out the eye of the shinobi behind her. He dropped his tanto with a cry as he clutched at his eye, leaving himself unprotected and vulnerable. Sakura turned and narrowly missed being skewered by another tanto. It hit the sleeves of her kimono, ripping the expensive fabric and pulling down the lowered kimono even lower.  
Aoshi calmly dispatched the rest of the ninja that had come after him and quickly headed towards the mayor and Sakura. The remaining shinobis, seeing Aoshi and Sakura's arrival lack of failure, made haste towards the shadowy portal in the room to escape.  
Aoshi stopped, astonished. There had been only on type of ninja clan that could have slipped into shadows like that, but they were destroyed, the last surviving member was Okina, himself, and Misao's dead mother and father. The Kasumi were supposed to be an extinct onmitsu clan, but could someone have possibly survived that massacre besides Misao's long dead mother? Aoshi put that thought away, saving it for later as he approached the geisha-turned-warrior and the cringing mayor.  
"Ayame-san?" he said, his voice a cool monotone. "Are you alright?"  
The mayor continued sitting on the floor, looking at Sakura with astonished eyes. Aoshi suppressed a sigh as he repeated his question. The mayor still didn't answer until the geisha turned around to ask the shrinking man the same question.  
The mayor flinched at her voice before replying. "I'm. oh dear. I'm. I think. I think I need to lay down."  
Sakura smiled gently at the man, charming him despite the stains of blood on her face as she said, "Don't worry Ayame-san! The police will be here and they'll take care of everything." She patted his hand and continued to smile at him.  
As if on cue, several policemen stepped into the empty rooms of the once vivacious party. Aoshi wasn't surprised to see the head of the secret police among them. Sakura inclined her head to the captain in respect and Saitoh Hajime acknowledged it with a sardonic smile of his own as his men took the mayor away from the bloody battle-scene.  
Sakura stood next to Aoshi, trying to pull up the neckline of her ruined kimono when he turned and spoke to her. "Are you alright?" he had looked down to ask and was assailed with the scent of the cherry blossoms she was so aptly named after. It made him think of Misao and immediately pushed that memory of her away. He was not worthy of such a young woman.  
Sakura said nothing for the moment until she was finally able to pull up her ruined kimono. She then shrugged at Aoshi as she said, "I could have taken them you know. I didn't need any help."  
Surprised, Aoshi stared at her and was filled with the feeling that he had known her from somewhere before. Though he was a man not normally given to his emotions, Aoshi felt something akin to annoyance coupled with something he could not name enter his being as he watched Sakura try to put some semblance of order to her clothes. He had not even known her for more then few minutes and she had already gotten under his skin, and the only ones who had ever been able to actually arouse any sort of emotions from Aoshi was Misao and her mother. He opened his mouth to say something when he heard Saitoh call out for her.  
"Hai Fujita-san," Sakura said. She bowed down to Aoshi once in respect as she said, "Please excuse me." Shoulders straight and with dignity that he could admire, she swept past him, unconcerned about the state of her clothing and regal as a princess.  
Not one to wait until Saitoh Hajime publicly known as Fujita Goro, head of the Kyoto Police called him, Aoshi headed out towards the doorway. If Mibu's wolf needed Aoshi, he knew where to find him. Aoshi had other important things to do, like finding out if there were actually any survivors left from the Kasumi clan, and if so, why were they attacking Japan's most prestigious officials; and most importantly, to find Misao and to warn her of the danger. As Aoshi left the Mayor's home, he was filled with a sense of exhilaration he had not felt in a long time and a familiar ache in his heart. 


	2. Chapter 2

Where the Shadow Lies  
Chapter 2  
  
Present.  
  
Aoshi walked in the streets of Kyoto, glad to be home again after three weeks of traveling for a mission that Saitoh had given him. As he passed by the markets, he heard a voice he hadn't heard in seven years.  
"BAKAYAROU!!! You just can't treat people like this!" There was a sound of scuffling as a vibrant voice cried out, "I'm going to teach you a lesson! Kansatsu Tobi Kunai!!!" the scuffle was fully underway when Aoshi found her.  
There was a crowd around the gathering, and since he was just shy of an inch reaching six feet, Aoshi had no problems finding the object of his search. There was a petite figure in the Market, wearing a familiar blue mantle around her slender body. Her hood was thrown back to expose a delicate face with heart stopping blue eyes and a grim little smile on her pretty face as she kept three children behind her. Between each fingers, she held several kunai as she faced down the last thug. There were a total of six men, two of them lying on the floor, one on top of a closed barrel, and another two held back to the wall by several sharp kunai.  
The thug and Misao continued to stare at each other, neither giving an inch until the sound of blowing whistles could be heard in the distance. The thug broke eye contact with Misao as he back away and snarled, "You're lucky the police are coming you little whore. We'll finish this another time." Turning his head, the thug barked out, "Let's go."  
Realizing that there was a crowd for the first time, Misao began to make sweeping motions to crowd as she called out, "Alright minna-san! The show's over! Get going!" Misao caught sight of Aoshi and held his gaze for a long moment before she finally gave a small wave in greeting.  
When the crowd began dispersing to her satisfaction, Misao turned back to the three children that were huddled behind her. She looked at the oldest, a girl of that looked to be nine years old, and asked in a gentle voice, " Daijoubu ka?" she checked them over visually as she said in a voice meant for their ears only, "You shouldn't have stolen his purse you know. That man is dangerous and you would've died for just picking the wrong pocket." Misao stopped as she picked up the little boy and settled him against her hip, unmindful of the dirty-ness against her.  
The girl spoke up, "But we were hungry. No one wanted to give us any food."  
Misao sighed as she looked over the filthy children. They looked like they could do with several hot meals and a bath. She brushed the boy's hair away from a sticky forehead as she said, "You guys are coming with me. I'll take care of you for a couple of days until I can get you to Hokkaido. A friend of mine can take care of you. You'll like her." Misao took the other little girls hand and told them to come follow her.  
Aoshi stood where he was, waiting for Misao to appear until he saw that she was busy talking to the children. He headed towards her direction and stopped when he reached her side.  
"Now come on every-" Misao had turned around to run into a firm wall of muscles. "Sumimasen Aoshi." The little boy in Misao's arm giggled as Misao took a step back and released the little girl's hand to rub at her nose. She shifted the boy in her arms again and then said, "Aoshi, could you." she lifted a shoulder to gesture the rest of her question.  
Aoshi. She had called him Aoshi, not Aoshi-sama. It should have pleased him that Misao had finally turned her heart away from him, but for some odd reason, it hurt. Regret poured through his entire being as he realized with her addressing him like this, there may never be a reconciliation of friends, only a wary respect between two people who have nearly become strangers with passing of time. He sighed to himself, and the action did not go unnoticed by Misao. Immediately she canceled her request, "Sumimasen Aoshi. I didn't mean to-"  
"Daijoubu Misao, I'll carry them," Aoshi said as he kneeled down to pick up the two little girls. Misao's eyes misted for a moment, Aoshi's movements inadvertently reminding her of a time when he had once carried her in his arms like that. She said nothing and turned around, heading towards the direction of the Aoiya with Aoshi and the two girls behind her.  
As Aoshi followed Misao, he took this as an opportunity to watch the young ex-okashira of the Oniwa Banshuu. The years have been good to her, he decided. She looked as if she had matured a great deal since the youthful look that had always seemed to convince everyone that she was a child was gone. Misao looked older now, her face and body finally catching up with her age. She looked a lot like Miharu, Aoshi thought, with her walk, stature, grace, and the beauty. though for some odd reason, there was this dangerous note within her aura that seemed discordant with the harmony of her ki. Aoshi continued to study her until his eyes strayed down to watch the gentle sway of her hips as she walked, carrying the child. He could envy that little boy, being held in Misao's arms. Realizing what he where his thoughts were leading, Aoshi hurriedly brought his gaze up to the back of her head as he lengthened his stride to walk beside her.  
Surprised that Aoshi was walking next to her, Misao felt the reunion of nervous and vulnerable feelings she had always encountered when near Aoshi; and hated herself for it. Being around Aoshi had always aroused these feelings that always left her weak and suspect to pain. Just like the rejection of her love offered to Aoshi and the humiliation she had felt. Misao didn't know what to do with the vulnerability she felt, so she had done what she did best for the past five years: avoid Aoshi. She had done everything to make sure that she wouldn't run into him whenever she appeared at the Aoiya for her all-too-brief stays. Seeing him made her heart race with all the love she still felt for him and the mortification of his rejection. Which was why she only visited the Aoiya when she had received confirmation from Saitoh Hajime that Aoshi was gone on business.  
Unsure of what to do, Misao opted for the simple approach. "Ohayo gozaimasu Aoshi." She brushed back the little boy's hair from his forehead as she said quietly, "I didn't think I would run into you so soon after my return to Kyoto. How are Jiya and the others?" Her stomach fluttered nervously as she waited for Aoshi's answer, unaware of the stares they received at the picture of such a handsome couple with the armfuls of children.  
"Okina is fine Misao, a little upset that you didn't extend your visit long enough last year to stay for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Omasu and Shiro are expecting their first child, Okon is still chasing after Seijuurou Hiko, and Kuro is in Tokyo, visiting the Himuras. He's due to return later on today or early tomorrow."  
As Aoshi talked, Misao watched his face, trying to gauge his reaction of her. As usual, it was useless. His face showed nothing, and his eyes were expressionless as ever. She sighed mentally to herself and pulled the little boy closer into the circle of her arms.  
There was once a time when she was a little girl and blessed with the uncanny ability to read his impassive face and predict his next moves. It used to delight her so that she was so close to Aoshi and understood him perfectly when none of the other Oniwa Banshuu could. Those were the days she had loved Aoshi unconditionally and believed that he felt as strongly for her as she did for him. And even though he had rejected her, she still felt that love that was so consuming for him even though she knew now that he had never, ever felt that way for her at all. It hurt; knowing that she loved him the way a woman loved a man and knowing that he would never feel anything else but kindness and brotherly affection for her.  
Unaware of what she was doing to the little boy as she reflected on her memories, Misao didn't realized that she was giving him a near bone- crushing hug until the boy managed to squeak out, "Nee-chan. itai."  
Embarrassed, Misao immediately loosened her hold on the boy. She gave a flustered laugh before she apologized to the boy. "Gomen ne little one. I didn't mean to crush you."  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Misao had barely placed little Kei-Chan down when Jiya came dashing out of the Aoiya to give her a bone-crushing hug as he bellowed out to Misao, "Ciao! My pretty little Misao!"  
Kei-chan and the two girls stared, wide eyed at the old man with a pink bow in his beard giving Misao such a fierce hug that her face had begun to turn red from the lack of air. It took a moment for Kei to realize that his new nee-chan would not be in good order if her face changed from white to red to purple. He reacted instantly, throwing his small fists against Jiya's leg and pounding at it the best he could as he screwed his face up to cry out, "You leave her alone!!!"  
Amused at the pint-sized child before him, Jiya let go of Misao who was about to faint, to look down at the young boy. There were two dirty, but pretty little girls trying to calm the child down, but he was having none of it. "Oi, my pretty Misao!" he said, "who is this?"  
Deciding that Jiya needed to pay for nearly breaking her ribs, Misao said promptly, "This is my son Jiya and these two girls are my husband's daughters. I-"  
She didn't get any further then that because at the mention of her son and husband, Jiya's face went through a rainbow of expressions and colors as he managed to croak out the words, "You're. married?! My pretty little Misao. MARRIED?!" He bellowed out the last word as his face turned red with rage and a vein bulged at his temple. "AND YOU DIDN'T INVITE ME!!! YOU'RE *BELOVED* JIYA?!!!" He stared at Misao in shock as Misao started to laugh not unlike certain a foxy doctor. He looked at Aoshi, whose face was expressionless as ever, and sighed to himself in mock sorrow.  
As Misao sat on the floor laughing, Kei was staring at her with wide eyes. A mother? He didn't ever remember of having a mother. All he had were memories of being in the dark, and walking out one day into the sunlight where he had met the two girls who were now with him. His eyes watered happily as he said, "You'll be my kaa-chan now?"  
Misao's laughter was abruptly cut off as she heard Kei's question. She held open her arms where the little boy promptly plopped himself into. Misao held him close as she said, "Gomen ne Kei-chan. I'm not your okaa- chan." She felt him stiffen in her arms and held tighter as she said, "But I will be your sister if you'd like. It's just as good as a okaa-chan."  
The boy brightened up as he turned his eyes up to the young onmitsu. "Truly?" he said.  
"Really," Misao said as she gave the little boy a hug.  
"Will you be our sister too Misao-chan?" the other two girls chimed in from their perch in Aoshi's arms.  
Misao continued to hug the boy as she turned and gave the girls a smile full of sunshine as she replied, "Hai, I'll be your sister as well." She planted a kiss on Kei's dark hair as she grasped Jiya's hand to help herself up. "Now if you'll follow me, I'll have you guys settled in the Aoiya until I can get you to Hokkaido."  
Aoshi bent down as he released the girls who immediately ran after Misao as she entered the Aoiya. He watched them follow Misao until they had turned the corner and could not be seen anymore.  
When they were sure that Misao and the children were gone, Jiya turned to Aoshi as he said, "Well, did you find out anything about the Kasumi clan? And what did Saitoh want?"  
Aoshi was silent as he reached into his gi and withdrew several documents. He handed them to Jiya as he said, "There are rumors, but no definite evidence." Except for that rumored clan in the Hiei Mountains, Aoshi thought. They were definitely suspicious, but he didn't want to accuse them of anything until he was sure of it.  
"And what of Saitoh?"  
"He wants to deliver these documents to the foreigner Matthew Perry."  
Okina scowled to himself as he tucked the documents into his gi. "I can't believe that we still haven't found anything on the Kasumi clan," he said. "If they're extinct, then who is the new clan practicing the old and forbidden arts?" Okina turned and entered the Aoiya as he continued to ponder about the Kasumi clan. Aoshi watched him for a few minutes before he turned around and headed towards the temple he usually meditated in.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
"Nee-chan! Stop scrubbing," Kei squirmed in Misao's grasp, "so hard!"  
Thoroughly soaked, Misao silently prayed to Kami-sama for patience as she tried to clean the squirming boy in the tub. Mou! How did he ever get so dirty so soon after a bath only an hour ago?!  
Omasu stood outside of the door, listening to the struggling boy and the harried Misao, her hand covering her mouth as she struggled not to laugh. Oh such sweet retribution! How many times had she done this with Misao? Now that the shoe was on the other foot, Omasu couldn't help but feel amused and satisfied as she listened in for a few more minutes before she went back into the room she shared with Shiro.  
"Mou!" Misao exclaimed as she stopped again. She was about to start again when an idea occurred to her. "Kei-chan,' she said brightly, "If you don't let me bathe you, you'll never get to stay with in Hokkaido."  
Kei stopped his splashing long enough to consider Misao's words before he resumed his splashing. "Hai nee-chan!" he crowed. "I'll stay with you forever and ever!" He splashed again for emphasis before he leapt from the tub to give Misao a dripping hug that was a miniaturized version of Jiya's bear hug. "Daisuki!"  
Misao's eyes softened as she held the little boy in her arms. It was nice to know that she was loved. Since her return back to the Aoiya, she and Aoshi's relationship had stayed stagnant; neither was willing to make a move. Misao feared rejection once more and Aoshi still felt himself unworthy of her, though she didn't know that. She held the little boy tighter within the circle of her arms as she wallowed in her moment of self- pity.  
"Nee-chan?"  
"Mmm?"  
"Daisuki."  
Misao smiled once more as she began to rinse Kei-chan off. She finished rinsing out his hair and began the process of soap and lathering. It was a soothing process and it allowed Misao to keep herself busy. Washing Kei-chan was no easy task, especially now since he kept on turning around to watch Misao with large blue eyes filled with trust and love that was getting irritated by the soap.  
Kei-chan watched Misao as she scrubbed at his hair. Though she didn't look it, Kei-chan could tell that something was wrong with the woman that bathed him. Wondering if he was the cause to her problem, he reached out and touched her smooth face as he said, "Nee chan? Daijoubu desu ka?"  
Misao blinked at the little boy's question, and then answered, "I'm fine Kei-chan. Is something wrong?"  
"Did Kei-chan make you sad?" He watched Misao's face intently. He didn't want to make the only person he loved unhappy. She was too important, and she made him feel special, and in a strange way, complete. He had never felt like that when he was in the dark. He had always felt as if he had something missing, or that something wasn't quite right.  
"No Kei-chan. You didn't make me sad, I was just thinking," she said. She scrubbed his head playfully as she said, "Now if you let me finish washing you and stay clean, I'll be happy forever."  
"Hontou?" Kei-chan said.  
"Hontou."  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Several Days later.  
  
It was several hours before Dawn when the incident happened. Misao was in the kitchen, chasing Kei-chan.  
"Mou! Kei-chan!" Misao cried out as she chased the giggling little boy around the kitchen. Just as she reached out and grabbed the boy's collar, and suddenly stood still.  
The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end when all of a sudden, a large portal of darkness appeared. Immediately she shoved the boy behind her and tensed.  
Out stepped 5 men dressed in the traditional shinobi uniform with their weapons drawn. Recognizing their outfits, Misao breathed out a soft, "Oh no, not again," before they charged at her.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Kuro was carrying out the laundry when he heard the sounds of a battle in the kitchen. Immediately he dropped the basket of clothes and whistled high and hard as he drew out his Kotewa Shuriken. He heard the high-pitched scream of Kei-chan screaming out for Misao as he rushed towards the kitchen.  
He threw open the door and was prepared to hurl the shurikens out when the sight of the battle shocked him into standing still. The kitchen was a mess and young Kei was no where to be seen. Misao was straddling a man, her small delicate hand holding one very sharp kunai placed at his throat as the other held his head back by his scalp. There was an expression of coldness on her face that matched Aoshi's as she asked her question in a tightly controlled voice, "Where did you take Kei-chan?"  
It sent shivers up Kuro's spine. It was eerie to see the young girl he had helped raise from babyhood calmly threatening a man for answers so coldly. When Misao was angry, she tended to be loud. not calm and quiet or filled with such malice.  
Whenever Misao had returned for her yearly visits, she was so happy and light-hearted. never before had she ever been so ruthlessly proficient. The man didn't answer Misao and she removed her kunai from this throat to where his right eye was. She slowly and, but relentlessly began to push in the kunai, prepared to gut out his eye and anything else in order to receive an answer. The man squealed like a pig as Kuro stepped forward to stop her when the man started to babbling about the Hiei Mountains.  
Satisfied with his answer, Misao stood up and with a strength that defied her small frame, she hauled the man up to his feet and headed towards the storeroom, unmindful of the bloody footprints she had left on the floor, grimly determined to find out where Kei-chan was. Kuro stared at the empty room for a full minute before he bellowed for the rest of the Oniwa Banshuu. 


	3. Chapter 3

Where the Shadow Lies  
Chapter 3  
  
It was mid morning when the Oniwa Banshuu had finally managed to clean up the mess inside of the Kitchen. As Kuro wiped the last of the blood stains on the floor, he heard a voice call out, "Ohayo? Is anyone home?"  
Grumbling to himself, Kuro got up and off his feet, placing the rag back into the wooden bucket. Notifying Okon and Shuro that he would be back, he headed towards the entrance of the Aoiya.  
"Yes?" Kuro said as he faced the stranger before him at the entrance of the Aoiya. The man was short, standing only a hand-span over five feet. His hair was short, and he had gentle blue eyes and a quiet smile not unlike the ex-wandering rurouni Himura Kenshin. The stranger wore a western shirt under the traditional Japanese hakama and gi and a sheathed katana at his side.  
"I'm sorry to disturb you," the stranger said politely as he took in Kuro's tall form. This must be the Aoiya Misao said she was going to be staying at for a couple of days, he thought. "I was looking for my friend Makimachi Misao. She told me that she would be staying here for a few weeks. I'm a friend of hers."  
Looking down at the young man, Kuro decided that he was probably telling the truth. There was no hostility in his aura, but nonetheless, he should take precautions. "I don't know when Misao will be back," he replied shortly.  
The young man visibly brightened up at the confirmation of Misao's residency as he said, "It's okay. I don't mind waiting because you see; I came here to surprise her."  
Kuro's eyes narrowed. How did this man know where Misao would be? He and the others had been looking for information on Misao for years now and they had yet to predict where she went and whom she traveled with.  
Seeing Kuro's eyes narrow, the young man hastened on to say, "I'm a friend of hers from Hokkaido and I received word that she would be here." Actually, the young man thought, Saitoh told me that she was staying here.  
Ah- I see, Kuro thought, instantly relaxing. Misao had some friends in Hokkaido. Smiling at the lad, he turned around to lead him down the hallway as he said, "I'll bring you to Okina's gardens. When Misao returns, I'll send her out there. Follow me."  
  
*** *** ***  
  
"Hiei Mountains?" Misao asked as she poured tea out for Saitoh Hajime. "That's what you got from him? *ALL* that you got from him?" She sat back down on the chair across from Saitoh Hajime's desk as she contemplated the recent turn of events over.  
"Aa," Saitoh said. "That's all he was able to talk about before he suddenly died." Screaming out for a woman named Aki, he silently added. "There have suspicious reports about the clan that lives in the Hiei Mountains. If you're to investigate this, you might as well investigate about the Madowshi clan there as well. There have been several serious rumors concerning them- all of them concerning human sacrifices and demon summoning."  
Misao nodded slightly as she absorbed the details of the task Saitoh had set before. From the information that Saitoh had just handed her, it looked like she would need some serious manpower accompanying her. It was time for her to call in her partner.  
Placing the papers back down, Misao said, "Same fee?" At his nod, Misao said, "I'll leave Kyoto before the night is out."  
  
*** *** ***  
  
As Aoshi entered the Aoiya early evening, he was greeted by the sight of Okina waiting at the entrance for him. He inclined his head in greeting to the old man and was about to enter when Okina's words stopped him.  
"The boy is gone and Misao was attacked."  
Stunned, Aoshi turned around as he said the only thing that could come up into his mind, "What?"  
"Misao was attacked this morning. She managed to defend herself, but they escaped with Kei-chan."  
"Is she alright?"  
"She's fine, but she left with right after with one of the attackers."  
"What?"  
"She left right after. Kuro saw her leave."  
"And he made no attempt to stop her?"  
"Too surprised. There was this. look about her Aoshi. She was just too. methodical. She reminded Kuro of. well. you."  
At Aoshi's questioning look, Okina elaborated. Ten minutes later, Aoshi was inside the Aoiya and heading towards the gardens. He was about to step out into the cool night air when he ran into a familiar figure.  
Aoshi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he recognized Soujirou Seta, the heavenly swordsman and now wandering rurouni. The former due to his unnatural skill with a sword, and the latter due to the influence of Himura Kenshin What the hell was that boy doing here? "Soujirou-san?" he half asked, half stated.  
"Konbanwa Shinomori-san," the young man replied as he bowed in greeting. He straightened up and looked up at the taller man, taking in the changes that had occurred since he has last seen Aoshi. He looked, Seta surmised, at peace with himself for the most part since he had last seen him. There was no longer any hint of the shura mentality that had caused Aoshi to become the homicidal man who killed anything and anyone who got in his way. He tried to look into Aoshi's aura to get a feel on the Okashira's emotions, but like his expressionless face, nothing could be seen. And Misao-chan had been able to read him like a book, he half wondered in amazement.  
"What are you here for?" Aoshi asked.  
"Ano." Seta reached up with a hand and placed it in the back of his head in self conscious manner as he smiled and said, "I came to visit Misao- chan. Our friend, Ame-chan told me that she would be here for a few weeks, so I thought it would be nice to see her again."  
Misao-chan? Aoshi wondered. Just how good of a friend is he to Misao? He kept his voice cool as he said, "Misao has stepped out on a personal errand of hers Soujiro-san. We're not sure when she will be back. Maybe it would be best if you would find a place to keep you for the night."  
"Aa," Seta said. He wondered briefly what could have detained Misao for so long on her errand when she had her own special mode of transformation. "Arigato Shinomori-san." He gave a short bow as he continued, "I will stop by again tomorrow to see if Misao will be here so that I may visit her." He smiled once more, and walked past Aoshi to enter the hallway to leave the complex when he heard a familiar voice call out "Tadaima!"  
Misao, he recognized with a smile. He quickened his step and was greeted with the sight of the woman who had captured his heart from the beginning of their acquaintance and a lecherous old man who was alternately hugging the life out of her and lecturing her at the top of his lungs. Misao had returned his hug warmly as she stopped his tirade with her news.  
Jiya stopped in mid-tirade as he said, "You're leaving already? You just got here a week ago. You can't leave just yet!!!"  
Seta saw Misao's eyes narrow almost imperceptibly at the remark as she said, "Gomen ne Jiya, but I have already stayed too long as it is. I must go. I have business I have to attend to immediately."  
"You're not leaving yet!" Jiya stated as he took a firm hold of Misao's hand. "We must talk and decide on a course of action for young Kei. You cannot go after him by yourself." His hold on Misao's hand grew tighter as he started to lecture her once more.  
Misao only half listened to Jiya when she caught sight of Seta standing in the hallway and Aoshi right next to him. Despite the fact that both Aoshi and Okina were watching her; and Misao gave Seta a look -their signal; that brought him a few steps closer to her before she exploded into action. She quickly twisted her wrist, disengaging Jiya's grip and grabbing Seta's hand as they both dashed out of the narrow hallways and into the street.  
Immediately Aoshi and Jiya dashed out after her, following her to down the streets of Kyoto. By silent agreement, they separated to surround the area as they continued to chase after Misao. They had Misao and Seta cornered as the two entered in a dead alley. Misao looked around quickly as she spotted a shadow large enough to fit her and Seta. She looked at him and saw the acceptance in his eyes as they both headed towards the shadow.  
Aoshi had moved in to block Misao's escape route when he saw that she was still trying to escape both him and Jiya. He moved to block her flight towards his right side, but to his surprise, she simply stopped before him, half in the shadow and half in the light. She looked at him for a moment, as if to drink the memory of his face in before she spoke: "Sumanai Aoshi" and disappeared into the shadow with Seta.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Near the outskirts of the city, Misao slipped out from the shadows pulling Seta with her. They landed in an ungraceful heap with Seta panting as he struggled to stand up. "I hate it. *puff puff* when you. *puff puff * do that." After the third try, Seta managed to stand up.  
"You agreed to it, " Misao stated as she gracefully stood up. "The travel would have been smoother if you hadn't been so scared."  
"I'm not you," Seta pointed out to Misao. "I wasn't trained to be an onmitsu."  
Misao shrugged as she said, "Well you have to make do. Not all of us can have god-speed like you."  
"You're not so bad yourself you know," Seta said as he watched Misao rearrange the kunai in her obi. It had never failed to amuse him of how she had managed to hide so many weapons upon her person and not accidentally harm herself. "If I recall correctly, you held up with me rather well when we were training in Hokkaido."  
"Sheer luck," Misao said simply as she started to fix her socks and sandals. It wouldn't do if the stiletto she had hidden there to fall out at an inopportune time.  
"Luck has nothing to do with it Misao. Training with Hiko Seijuurou did do something for you. You're faster now and bit more lethal." Seta sighed as he said, "I heard from Saitoh what you nearly did to that man."  
"I didn't do anything." Misao said, sounding defensive. "Well. not anything life-threatening." The last part came out in a near mutter.  
"I heard that Misao-chan. Nearly gutting his eyeball in front Kuro did not help you. As far as the Oniwa Banshuu was concerned, you're only supposed to be the happy-go-lucky girl they know and love, not one of the more efficient agents of the Japanese Government. It's a wonder that that they hadn't found out that you've been working for Saitoh these past four years with me as your partner."  
Finished straightening her clothing and making sure that her weapons were back in their various places, Misao said "They couldn't have anyway. As long as Aoshi wasn't helping them seriously look for me, I was fine. Besides, even if they did, not many people know me by my true name." Misao sniffed as she continued on, "The pay could be better though. Buying and dressing the part of a Geisha gets rather expensive."  
"Well you don't have to buy everything you know," Seta said as he and Misao started to walk companionably down the road. "You could always borrow them from Tokio-san."  
"And return the things stained with blood and ripped?? Tokio-san can only let me destroy so many of her beautiful kimonos before wanting to do the same thing to the one who borrowed them."  
"You can't help it," Seta said. "You said yourself that kimonos are hard to fight in."  
"Hard, but not difficult enough that it would shred them." Misao sighed. "If only I didn't have to wear so many under-robes beneath it. It would be so much easier when you're not swaddled in under-robes."  
"Misao!" was all that Seta could gasp out. It was already scandalous enough as it was that that Misao's Oniwa Banshuu uniform revealed too much of her long legs, but to strip down the number of under robes that was needed to be worn under the decorative kimono would make it positively indecent and not to mention decadent. Already provocative images of Misaos in various seductive poses wearing all-too thin kimonos were prancing in Seta's head.  
"Seta?" Misao asked. She stopped and turned back, seeing Seta looking at her with a rather boggle eyed face and a faint blush on his cheeks. "Mou!" She muttered as she marched back to where her partner was standing. Misao pulled out a tessen from the back of her obi and promptly smacked Seta with it. "Pervert," she muttered under her breath.  
The blow from the iron fan knocked Seta to the floor and fortunately back to his senses. "Itai! What was that for?" he grumbled. He was talking to thin air since Misao had all ready begun walking again. Rubbing his head, Seta Soujirou, heavenly swordsman and the God-speed rurouni, ran off after his partner.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
"What do you want me to do with the boy obaa-san?" A girl with long brown hair asked as she helped a squirming Kei by the arm.  
"Put him in shadow rooms," the old lady replied. Squinting at the boy, she cackled as she said, "It should help him mature a little faster. Apparently our little Misao hasn't been traveling through the realm of shadows as often as we had hoped, since her double is still so very immature. We will need him at her age before anything can happen." Knocking the hand of assistance offered to her by another grandchild aside, Mikage Aki; stood up. For a small diminutive woman nearly eighty years old; she moved with surprising ease and grace of one much younger as examined Kei in a slow circle. Nodding to herself, she continued, "Yes, put him in the shadow rooms. Misao should be arriving very soon to rescue the boy. You've done well Misanagi."  
Her granddaughter flushed at the compliment in the lowly lit room. "You only need to order what you want obaa-san and I will do my best as to satisfy your desires. I shall leave now to place the boy in one of the shadow rooms." She bowed low to her grandmother before she moved to pick up the small unconscious boy on the floor.  
With her granddaughter Misanagi gone, Aki dismissed her other grandchild from the room stating that she needed her privacy. Bowing low to the Matriarch of the Madowshi clan, the little girl promptly disappeared through a shadow. In the quiet of the room, Aki stared into the fire of the brazier in her room and began to laugh. Victory would be in her hands once more, thanks to Miharu's daughter. Even in the end, despite all her best efforts to deny them, Miharu was still helping out her clan by allowing her daughter live. It was a fine day indeed for the maternal grandmother of Makimachi Misao.  
  
End of Chapter 3 


	4. Chapter 4

Where the Shadow lies  
Chapter 4  
  
"Misao-chan!" Seta called as he poked at the fire they had set up. The sweet potatoes were nearly done roasting and now all he had to do was to wait for his partner to come back from washing up so that they could eat.  
Seta was pulling the sweet potatoes out of the ashes of the fire when his partner appeared. Fresh from a bath with her skin glowing and her long hair down from its ubiquitous braid, Misao was a lovely sight to behold. Seta, who had had glanced upwards towards his partner stopped and stared, unmindful of the hot potato he held. It wasn't until Misao pointed out the hot potato that he registered the burning sensation in his hand. Hastily he dropped the potato and tried to soothe his new injury as he cursed himself for his ineptness.  
All thoughts disappeared from Seta's head as he smelled the faint scent of cherry blossoms as Misao sat down next to him to examine the burn. "Mou Seta!" she exclaimed. "I can't leave you alone to cook even for a minute can I? Look at what you've done to yourself!"  
At Misao's scolding, Seta was abruptly knocked into reality. Sputtering, Seta said, "If you hadn't looked like the Moon Lady, I wouldn't have been scared witless at the sight of you!" He ducked a swipe from Misao and nearly cried out in pain when Misao jabbed his burned hand.  
"You're lucky I'm not doing it harder," Misao retorted to her partner. "Moon lady my left foot," Misao muttered.  
Upon closer examination, Misao saw that the burn wasn't that serious and was relieved. It was getting more and more difficult working with Seta. Not matter what she tried or did, she could still sense that her partner was still in love with her. A year long separation of their partnership had done nothing to break that link; not even when she had chosen to work with ex-Juppon-Gatana pervert Chou. Allowing herself to work with Seta had been a mistake, she realized. He would be too busy worrying about her than the case itself, and as a member of Japan's secret service, that was a liability.  
Misao felt the prick of tears in her eyes and silently damned herself for losing control of the situation. She knew what she had to do. Reaching over to grab the guilty potato that had burned Seta's hand, Misao placed it near the fire as she ordered Seta to go wash the burn while she prepared a remedy for him.  
Sensing the sudden change of mood in his partner, Seta hastily complied. It wouldn't do if Misao decided to suddenly brain him with a hot potato if he was too slow to do what she told him. Years of traveling with her taught Seta that Misao was about predictable as an active volcano.  
Watching to make sure that her friend was down by the water, Misao quickly pulled out a sealed packet. It was a sleeping poison that could knock a person out for several days if the dose was large enough. Carefully, Misao poured a small amount onto her hand before she began to rub it all over the newly skinless potato. Placing the potato down carefully, Misao began the same with another before she was satisfied with her work. With her luck, Seta would eat the two sweet potatoes and be out cold for three days, giving her plenty of time to travel to Hiei Mountains and take care of business.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
It was near midnight when Misao got out of her makeshift bed. Quietly taking what she would need, Misao placed the bag near the tree as she turned to check on Seta. Kneeling before him, Misao could see that he was deeply asleep. With a quiet affection she would have never given him if he were awake, Misao pulled the blankets closer to him to make sure that he would remain warm throughout the next day. Brushing his bangs away from his face, Misao silently bade her partner goodbye and apology before she stood up. Taking one last look at her partner, Misao grabbed her traveling back as she set off towards Mt. Hiei.  
  
*** *** ***  
  
Aoshi placed the reports back down the table. Moving from behind the desk of Okashira, Aoshi went to stand at the window, eyes taking in the brilliance of Okina's majestic gardens as he contemplated the information that was brought to him. So Saitoh had sent Misao to Mt. Hiei.  
Aoshi wasn't surprised at the ex-shinsengumi's decision to send her on such an important mission. After four years of the unknown, Aoshi had finally been able to locate Misao when she had entered into service for the Japanese government under the name Kanno Miho. It took some work, but he found out quite by accident through the reports of one of the rising agents of the Japanese Government. Upon reading of her many achievements and successes, Aoshi had toyed with the idea of offering her to join the Oniwa Banshuu until he saw the photograph that came along with the report.  
Clad in the somber uniform of the Japanese Government, Misao was standing next the repatriated half Japanese half American spy Manjiro John when the picture was taken. Like her clothing, Misao's face was solemn, not a smile or a glimmer of her fearless spirit to be seen in the photograph at all. She stood next to Manjiro demurely with her eyes focused on anything else but the camera. Her body language suggested that she wasn't interested in meeting the repatriated Manjiro John and that this was done out of politeness.  
If it wasn't for the trademark knee- length braid she always wore with the gold filigree clasp he had given her 8th birthday before he left the Aoiya with Hannya and the others; Aoshi wouldn't have been able to recognize her. Her face had begun to take shape, losing the roundness of childhood to give way to the woman emerging. It looked as if she was growing taller as well since the top of her head reached a little past Manjiro's shoulders. And from what Aoshi had recalled from his meeting with Manjiro the year he had entered the ministry, he was probably the only man besides Saitoh that could look him in the eye.  
What a surprise it had been to see Misao as part of the Japanese Government. From what he had seen and heard from Misao's dealings with Mibu's wolf years previously, Aoshi hadn't expected Misao work him so smoothly. It wasn't until then, when Aoshi had read the report and saw the photograph of Misao that he realized that she was the geisha called Sakura he had met the mayor's party in Tokyo three years ago. He should have known that even though his mind didn't recognize Misao, his heart would despite the years that had gone by.  
Shaking his head to clear the memories of the past, Aoshi came to a decision. The time for respecting Misao's privacy was over. Apparently it had been the wrong thing to do since Misao was using the forbidden dark arts of the onmitsu. He had to stop Misao from using the shadow realm to establish her goals and to keep the Kasumi clan from getting their hands on her. Otherwise the destruction that had cost Miharu and Furuha their lives to save Misao and most of the Oniwa Banshuu members would be for naught.  
It was time for action.  
  
End of Chapter 4  
  
Notes:  
- Moon Lady: the Moon Lady is actually a reference back towards Chinese  
Culture. If anyone has read Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club before, then you  
know what she is. The Moon Lady is supposed to be someone who seems as  
if she is beautiful, but when you see her up close; she's actually quite  
ugly. ^_^  
- Okage-sama: the Shadow King.  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long for the update! Just finished a short term class and am now starting another. Updates may take a little bit longer since I am busy with school and my two jobs. Thank you for reading!!! Reviews and emails are appreciated! 


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